Chronic Illness News and Updates
MSAW and Latino Communities Managing Diabetes
Diabetes affects Americans of all socioeconomic statuses, races, cultures, and ethnicities. However, Hispanic/Latinos are at higher risk of having type 2 diabetes as compared to other ethnic groups. Migrant Seasonal Agricultural Workers (MSAWs) are predominate of Hispanic/Latino descent placing them at higher risk for type 2 diabetes.
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One Family’s Journey in Health
At a doctor’s appointment, Catarino Velazco got some frightening news. In addition to a diabetes diagnosis, Catarino’s doctor told him his blood sugar had risen dangerously high. In a translated interview, Catarino admitted his first response was shock.
“When they told me that my blood sugar had spiked,” he said, “I thought ‘How did that happen? It couldn’t happen to me, right?’” His doctor prescribed him some medication to control his blood sugar and recommended that he start attending Salud y Vida (Health and Life) classes led by MHP Salud.
New Cada Paso del Camino Program Teams Up with Clinic to Provide Cancer Services
According to the American Cancer Society, Hispanics are more likely to die from cancer than non-Hispanic whites. These disparities begin in communities with existing social determinants of health long before a diagnosis is ever reached. To combat this trend, MHP Salud has teamed up with Nuestra Clinica del Valle to provide low-income Latino communities with holistic cancer prevention, screening, and treatment services in Hidalgo and Starr Counties in Texas.
Learn About Addressing Diabetes with the Community Health Worker Model
Community Health Workers (CHWs) have been used effectively to help improve a variety of health outcomes. The incidence of diabetes among U.S. adults has tripled, from 603,000 new cases in 1990 to 1,812,000 in 2009. In addition, due to continuous advancement in the field of chronic disease management, people with diabetes are living longer. This shifts public health focus from not only prevention but to diabetes management as well. As a reflection of these developments, diabetes education and self-managed glycemic control for type 2 diabetics has been an area of specific interest for CHWs.
